For The One We Love
by Original509
Summary: Fact: Soul Eater Evans and Spirit  Death Scythe  Albarn never get along. But what happens when the most important person in both of their lives is in danger? Will they put aside their differences? My first fanfic R&R!
1. The News

**I've been watching Soul Eater for a while and this idea just came up now. This is my very first story, so go easy.**

**Summary: Soul Eater Evans and Spirit (Death Scythe) Albarn made it obvious that they're **_**never**_** going to get along. But what happens when the most important person in both of their lives is in danger? Will they put aside their differences? They'd better!**

* * *

Chupa Cabra was, to Spirit Albarn, a happy place for him. The heavy, refreshing drinks, the sexy, scantily-clad girls, what's not to love? It was a place for Spirit to just unwind, relax, and forget his problems.

Unfortunately, he's not doing a very good job today.

Spirit sat alone, clutching his beer. He lost count on how many he had. But no matter how much alcohol he consumed, he could not forget Maka's news. This whole thing with Maka seemed to happen just yesterday...

Because it _was _yesterday when Maka spilled the beans...

* * *

_Spirit slouched in his bench seat at the park in Death City. He doesn't know why he's here. From the looks of the others, they don't know any better than him. He watched Black*Star show off his finesse on the basketball court while Tsubaki serenely watched. Death the Kid was upset because Patty stained his shirt with her smoothie, and he struggled to make it look symmetrical. Liz tried in vain to comfort Kid, and offered to get him a new shirt. She groaned after Kid complained, "This is my favorite shirt! It's perfectly symmetrical, and now it's all ruined..." Stein was next to Spirit, observing the people that walked past them. No doubt wondering which one to dissect. _

_"Why the hell did they want us here?" Black*Star asked when he got tired of basketball. "Why are Maka and Soul taking so long when they're the ones who called us here in the first place?"_

_"Hell if I know," Stein replied, watching a bird fly by with deep interest. "Spirit, you're awfully calm. You usually go ballistic if Maka even acknowledges you. Now she asked you to meet here and you're not even giving the slightest sign of joy."_

_"She mentioned good news - good news with that Soul Evans." Spirit growled at the name of the young, new death scythe. He never liked him, even when Soul was younger. He thought him as a slacker, someone who would hurt his little Maka. Some would say he was jealous; jealous that there's a new death sycthe, jealous that he's the number one guy in Maka's life. Spirit wouldn't believe that. He's not jealous. _

_And now they have gotten married. His sweet daughter Maka married that troublemaker. Spirit still couldn't believe it, even though the wedding was two months ago. What could their news be about?_

_Spirit considered that last question, and came up with an answer. But he sincerely hoped he was wrong. _

_He saw Maka and Soul come up to them, hand in hand. He resisted the urge to chop off Soul's hand, that dirty hand that had the nerve to hold Maka's clean one. Spirit knew that Maka does not approve of his hostile behavior against her partner, and she made that clear at her wedding reception. He's trying to accept Soul, but the thought of him as his son-in-law made bile rise up in his throat. _

_"About time, where were you two?" Black*Star tapped his foot impatiently while the couple shared sidelong, amused glances. "So what's the big news Maka's been gushing about?"_

_They glanced at each other again, obviously wondering who will be the one to say it. Finally, Soul clasped his wife's hand and raised it over their heads._

_"Maka's pregnant."_

(A/N: Didn't see that one coming, did you?)

_Pregnant. His baby girl...is having a baby. Spirit sat rigid in the park bench for a while, while the girls cheered and screamed their congrats. Pregnant. Just like Kami was with Maka, years ago. Pregnant. That meant..._

_That Soul Eater Evans had put his hand all over her! The bastard!_

_Before he knew it , Spirit was in front of Maka, far beyond his wits._

_"Pregnant? What do you mean pregnant? A baby? You're having a baby? With him? Did he do anything? Did he touch you? Did you give him permission, Maka-"_

_**MAKA-CHOP!**_

_Spirit slumped at the weight of the dent in his head, thanks to Maka's hardcover book. _

_"Anyone saw that one coming?" Kid asked after Liz brought him a new shirt. Maka's chop didn't ease up one bit after graduating DWMA, that's for sure. Kid wondered for a moment how many Maka-chops Soul recieved since his marriage to the blonde. He observed Soul's head, which looked slightly misshaped. Looks like he recieved one not too long ago. He gave a small smirk._

_Stein finally discarded his observation at life and joined the group. "Having a baby, huh?" He grinned evilly and pulled out a small knife, his eyes glinting. "May I dissect it?" _

_The answer was uanimous._

_Spirit recovered and forced himself to look in his daughter's emerald eyes. "How...How far are you?"_

_"Two months."_

_"Two-!"_

_He heard Soul chuckle softly as he wrapped his arm around Maka's waist. Why, it looks like that ass isn't very patient. He felt his blood coil._

_Pretty soon, Patty, Liz and Tsubaki crowded the glowing Maka as they gushed over the baby. Kid, Black*Star and Stein stood aside, watching the exuberent group. Spirit stood farther aside, his mouth agape. _

_"Yo, Pops." That voice..._

_Spirit turned his head, and his eye flashed. There stood Soul with his infamous fanged grin. "Looks like you're gonna be a Grandpop."_

_The Death Sycthe just glared at him and brushed past him. He stopped for a moment to say, "Give Maka my congrats." He continued on home to think._

* * *

Okay, it was _Soul_ who told everyone, but Spirit doesn't think much about him. He gripped his glass, tipped it back and let the cold drink slide down his throat. After finishing the drink, he slammed down the empty glass with a hard thud. That beer was his...damn, he lost count. But he _still_couldn't forget the fact Maka was having a baby.

That Soul Eater Evans's baby.

Spirit slapped the money on the table and started for the door, wobbling slightly. The second his foot stepped out of the door he heard a voice.

"Yo, Pops!"

Spirit stopped, and due to his drunkeness, he slumped against the wall of the Chupa Cabra building. _Pops...who calls me Pops again? _Spirit felt angry, but he forgot why.

The noise of a motor grew louder, and the Death Scythe winced at the obnoxious sound of it. He (faintly) saw Soul approach him with his motorcycle. "Get on, Pop."

"You idiot, why are you calling me Pops?" Spirit's words slurred. Soul rolled his eyes. The younger Death Scythe doesn't see how his responsible, bright wife is related to a mess like that. He tossed an extra helmet to his papa-in-law (Soul winced at calling him that; he hated the thought of somewhat being related to him now). "Just put this on."

"Why should I...?" The old man sounded ridiculous.

"Because, Lord Death called for us, and he'll kick your ass if you don't show up." Soul felt his impatience grow. He's hoping the meeting won't take long. Blair's at home taking care of Maka, but he knew if he's gone for too long, he'll be ready to greet a _very_ grumpy, pregnant wife.

Spirit grumbled as he put on the helmet. He sat on the motorcycle seat and wondered where he should put his hands. When Soul revved up the engine and drove away, Spirit gripped the edge of the seat and hoped he wouldn't fall off. The duo rode in silence to DWMA, to Shinigami.

* * *

**There we are! My first chapter! That took a while :P Anyway, I might not update fo a while, due to school stuff (which includes a science fair project. Woo-hoo!) Again, my first fanfic, so go easy. Constructive criticism allowed, but no harshness! **

**If you see some spelling mistakes, huge huge apologies. **


	2. Spirit's Mission

**Thank you thank you thank you to all who reviewed! I hoped my story would get some good reviews but I honestly never expected some of you to actually favorite it and its author. You're all awesome. Your positive reviews made me so happy and inspired to write another chapter! I'm not sure if I like this one, but that's just me! I' m actually in a pretty good mood, so I'll update TWO chapters! Double the fun! (?) Expect some spelling mistakes, since I'm using WordPad. **

**Oh yeah, the disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater, I never owned Soul Eater and I never will own Soul Eater. *Pop* goes my shining bubble of hope. **

**I forgot to put it in the first, but I'm not gonna bother editing it so I can just put the disclaimer in. Editing was a nightmare for me...**

**Anyway, enough of my gibberish. Onward with the story!**

* * *

"Howdy, howdy, howdy!"

The ironically chipper Lord Death beamed at his subjects, who either winced or (painfully) cracked a small smile. Soul growled, but that's probably because he's supporting his Death Scythe in-law. He passed out halfway to DWMA, and Soul practically half-dragged the dumbass to Shimigami-sama's chamber. He was really in no mood for the Lord's happiness. _Besides, since when is Death...cheerful?_ was Soul's ongoing thought. _The concept of death is usually sad, isn't it?_

"Yo, Lordy Death, wass up?" Spirit finally recovered...somewhat. Soul figured this would continue for a good 24 hours. Thank goodness this meeting wouldn't last that long.

"Ah, Death Scythe, gone out drinking again?" Lord Death wasn't surprised. Neither was anyone else in the room. Spirit Albarn was nearly infamous for his drinking and womanizing.

Not to mention his foolishness. Even though he knew the Death Scythe for years, it still annoyed Shinigami-sama to see him act this way.

"So what's this all about?" Yumi Aszura demanded, paying no attention to Spirit's behavior. She saw no point in worrying over it. She adjusted her glasses and stared intently at the Lord. "You seem pretty serious."

Lord Death stared at his weapons before him: Marie Mjolnir, who takes form of a hammer/tonfa. Yumi Aszura, a strange weapon, a cross between crossbow, musket and rifle scope. The two Death Scythes that are actually scythes, Spirit and Soul. Lord Death felt very well blessed to have such strong Death Scythes (even if their human sides are a little strange...)

"You know why the DWMA is created, don't you?"

"Of course, sir. Isn't it created to train human meisters and their weapons, and to reap and capture the souls of kishin?" Marie answered a little hesitantly.

"Correct, Marie, and basically, DWMA is formed so peace can be kept in Death City and beyond. However, I noticed that a vast amount of kishin souls have appeared and forming practically everywhere. Some are a little too hard for our students, which is why all of you are assigned to track down these kishins. Some of the most infamous are Jesse James, Ma Barker, a duo named Bonnie and Clyde..."

(A/N: Yeah, I used the names of real-life robbers/murderers. Hey, they used Jack the Ripper and Al Capone for the first 2 eps. Why not?)

Lord Death continued, "As you may well know, kishins are dangerous to this world, and there will be many, many innocent people who will be killed in their hands. No w we can't have that, can we?"

"So what do you want us to do?" Soul asked, slouching a bit, hands in pocket.

"Well, I'm sending each one of you to a certain area that's overpopulating with kishin, and I want to, at least, thin the crowd."

"You're sending us away?" Marie cried. "But how am I ever going to find a boyfriend if I'm busy reaping kishin?"

"Then you'll have to get going," Lord Death answered. "Now, I want to talk to you individually about the place you're assigned to."

"Wait a minute, how long are you gonna send us away?" Soul asked, remembering Maka. He didn't think travel would be good for a pregnant woman.

"A good month. Hopefully, there would be much less kishin in the world. I know what you're worried about, Soul," Shinigami-sama said to the young man. "You're worried about Maka, and I can tell you that you will remain here in Death City to look after her as well as the kishin."

Soul sighed in relief. "That's cool."

"Now, everyone wait outside the Death Room. I will talk to Aszura first. You too, Soul, since you're Spirit's transportation."

Soul scowled at the older Death Scythe, who glared back. "Now that's uncool."

Soul slouched against his motorcycle, waiting for Spirit. At least the old man will be out of his hair for a month, and he gets to stay here with Maka.

Spirit approached Soul and scowled. He was being sent off to New York while Soul remains here in Nevada with his daughter. A whole month. A whole month without seeing Maka, the thought eased his anger for a second and he became rather solemn. A whole month.

* * *

_"New York? You're sending me across the country?"_

_Spirit stared at the comical face of Death. "Across the country, away from my Maka?"_

_"It's only for a month, Spirit. Besides, it's not as if she'll be alone. Her husband will be there to take care of her."_

_"Don't refer to him as my Maka's husband!"_

_"But he is, isn't he? And Soul and Maka are having a baby."_

_"Don't remind me! That Soul Eater defiled her, and as her father, I wouldn't stand it!"_

_" 'Defiled her'? First of all, Spirit, it's the 21st century. No uses that term anymore. Second of all, they're __**married.**__ They're free to be...intimate."_

_"Don't say that! I can't stand that! His rough, dirty hands all over my daughter's delicate body. My poor Maka-!"_

_**REAPER-CHOP!**_

_Spirit slumped on the floor while Lord Death still held up his freakishly large hand. "For goodness sake, will you shut up? Despite what you think, Maka isn't some delicate flower or fragile vase that breaks at one person's touch. She is a strong woman, and Soul is a strong man. Speaking of Soul, will you put your petty feelings against him aside? Like it or not, he is Maka's husband, a part of your family. And for your daughter and grandchild's sake, __**try**__to get along with him. Maybe your mission in New York will do a good thing. It'll help you blow off some steam. After all, you don't want your grandkid to think you're some psychopath freak who spend his time drinking and womanizing, do you?"_

_"No," mumbled Spirit, still on the floor._

_"Good. Now that that's aside, I want to talk to you about your mission..."_

* * *

"You ready to go, Pops?" Soul asked, interrupting Spirit's thoughts. "Maka's waiting for me at home."

"Yeah, yeah," Spirit uttered. "Hey, Soul Eater, are still planning to keep that after the baby's born?"

Soul stared down at his beloved motorcycle. He and Maka actually talked about it last night, and though it's obvious that it's not good transportation for an infant, he was reluctant to depart from something that's been with him for years. "I don't know yet. Maka and I were just talking about it..."

Spirit nodded as he strapped on his helmet. "Is anyone at home taking care of her."

"Blair offered," Soul replied, suddenly feeling wary. What's with all this...politeness? "Do you want me to just drop you off at your place?"

"Yeah, thanks." Spirit felt a headache come on - partly from the alcohol, partly from the reaper chop. They drove away from DWMA in silence, and then the older Death Scythe talked. "Did you give Maka my congrats?"

"Yeah. She was curious why you left so quickly."

"It's just...shocking. My baby girl was having a baby. She was all grown up."

Soul was silent as he pondered the words. Yeah, the old man was an idiot, but he could see he truly cared about Maka. That almost made him cool.

Almost.

* * *

**Yeah, after reading it, I'm not sure if I like it. However, I had fun writing the flashback scene with Shingami-sama and Spirit. Anyway, I'm gonna bring in some more family members in the next chapter. **

**Please review. If you do, I will be so happy, and you want me to be happy, don't you?**

**If you answered no, then you're a meanie-bo-beanie! (Kudos to my pal Olivia for providing me wih that phrase!)**


	3. The Unexpected Visitor

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater *Cue the Asian girl weeping in the corner 'cause her dreams were dashed***

**Okay, now that we got that over with, I would be proud to present my third chapter. Now coming up would be just a little Maka drabble. That's all I can say for now. In this chapter, Soul comes home to find an unexpected visitor - hence the name of the chapter. **

**Enough from me. Let's get going!**

* * *

Soul parked his motorcycle and looked up to the building. After their marriage, he and Maka moved into a apartment bigger than their last. It was nice and comfy, with a few touches added by Liz, Patty and Tsubaki. He wondered vaguely how Maka was doing, and how Blair was putting up with her. When his wife (back when she was his girlfriend, then fiancee) was PMS-ing, that alone was a nightmare. But pregnancy...added with Maka...

This was gonna be a long 7 months.

Soul entered his home and saw Maka on their couch, asleep and peaceful-looking. Blair was curled up in the loveseat, thumbing through a magazine. Her cat ears twitched when the door opened. Her eyes perked when she saw who it was. "Soul! Welcome home!"

"Hey Blair," Soul said coolly, eyeing the magic cat's clothes - which didn't really consist of clothes, but of a bikini top the size of a postage stamp and a skirt that was so short that it looked like she needed matching underwear. Years ago, that would've caused a heavy nosebleed (and possibly a Maka-chop), but the 20-year-old simply shrugged it off. Blair has a nice body, but all he wanted was Maka. "Nice...outfit."

Blair beamed. "Thanks, Soul. By the way, someone visited, not too long after you left."

"That's cool. Who was it, Tsubaki?" The gentle weapon offered help with the baby, and even offered to take care of Maka while he was at the meeting. Soul was grateful for the offer, but thought it best if Tsubaki stayed with Black*Star.

_After all,_ thought Soul, _I can't ask her to help take care of an unborn baby when she has another baby to look after._He knew how close the 2 females were, and knew that Tsubaki would take good care of his wife.

"No, it wasn't Tsubaki," said Blair, twirling her hair and crossing her legs. "It was someone different. I think his name was Wes or something..."

"Wes?" Soul frowned. He didn't expect his older brother to visit. He hasn't seen him since the wedding. Why is he here now?

"Hey Soul." Wes Evans leaned against the frame of the bathroom door, flashing a handsome, fangless smile. Soul stared at his smile. He would have all the luck, having a normal smile. Not a scary, fanged grin like his.

"I guess good looks run in the family," cooed Blair, simpering at Wes. "Jeez, Soul, you could've told me how _cuuuute_ your big bro is."

Maka then stirred and opened her green eyes. She smiled at her husband. "Hey Soul. I didn't expect you to be back for a while. Did Blair tell you about Wes?"

"Yeah, she did" was Soul's calm reply. He sat next to Maka and automatically wrapped his arm around her growing waist. "Did he do anything to bother you?"

Maka snuggled in his one-armed embrace. "No, we just talked a little bit about the baby, and then he played music."

"You brought your violin, huh?" Soul's eyes strayed to his brother. "What did you play?"

"He played our song, Soul."

Soul became rigid. _Our song_.

* * *

_Everyone laughed and talked in the wedding reception of Soul and Maka Evans. The sound of glass being tapped quieted the crowd and looked up to see Soul at his piano, his glass in hand. "Ok, everyone. Now I want to do something special. Some of you - ok, maybe all of you - know I'm a musician, the piano being my specialty. One day, I was at my piano, playing one of my songs, when this green-eyed, blonde, tit-less girl came up and listened. She then asked me to be her partner for the DWMA, and I accepted. Hell if I knew that the green-eyed, blonde tit-less girl would end up being my beautiful and amazingly cool wife."_

_From the center table, the bride beamed. _

_The night before, I thought about our first meeting, and I played a couple notes on the piano. Before I knew it, I had a whole song composed, so I decided to dedicate it to my wife, Maka. This is our song."_

_Everyone listened in rapt silence to their song. It was dark, rather ominous. But underneath the sound they could sense the quiet, loving melody that expressed Soul's feelings for Maka. Mrs. Maka Evans tilted her head, closed her eyes and smiled softly at the music. She may be tone-deaf, but she doesn't care. She loved the tune, and was happy Soul could play it for her. Her heart beat in beat with the song, and she knew that wasn't irony or a coindence or anything else that ran across those thoughts. _

_It was love. Fate, maybe. But it was love definately. _

_Soul was aware of the eyes on him as he played. It made him slightly uncomfortable. Then he remembered Maka - her smile during his speech, the emerald eyes that sparkled, the rosiness of her cheeks, and his confidence grew. He ended his song with a flourish and listened to the silence that followed. Soul worried; why was everyone so quiet? Was his song that bad? The groom was taken aback by the long, loud applause that met his ears. He saw many standing up and cheering. Some had tears in their eyes. He saw Black*Star jumping and whooping while Tsubaki wiped tears from her face. Death the Kid smiled and clapped (symmetrically, of course). Liz clapped earnestly while Patty giggled and jumped like Black*Star. Marie cried into a handkerchief, obviously touched. Stein clapped formally, but Soul could see the corners of his lips turn up. He couldn't say the same for Aszura, who was stiff as she clapped. Lord Death also had a handkerchief, which made Soul look twice (Death can cry?). His eyes met Spirit's, who had a funny face, as if he was deep in thought. He nodded at Soul, who nodded back. He didn't look at the center table. He wasn't sure what to expect to see. After leaving the piano and reaching his table, he then looked up - and was stunned. _

_Maka was right in front of him, her smile broad as tears slowly cascaded down her rosy cheeks. "Soul..."_

_"What's with the waterworks?" Soul asked in a cool tone, but he couldn't help but worry over what she was crying about. _

_Maka embraced her husband in a loving hug and let more tears escape. "Oh, Soul, that song..."_

_"Was it that bad?" He whispered into her hair. _

_"No, y-you idiot!" Maka sniffled. "That was s-so beautiful. Thank you...so much."_

_Soul's shoulders relaxed. So he didn't offend or upset Maka in any way. He returned the hug, and kept his wife close to him._

"Soul? Is everything all right?"

Soul snapped out of his thoughts and met Maka's worried eyes. He shrugged. "Yeah, no problems here," he lied through his teeth. He couldn't help but feel mad that Wes played their song. The song that was only between him and Maka. He wondered what she thought when Wes played the song on his violin. Did she cry? Was she emotional? Did she think it was better when he played it? Better than Soul's?

_Don't be ridiculous. Maka loved the song when I played it. _

But still, Soul worried. He stood up and motioned his brother to come outside with him. To Maka, he said, "I'll be back in a little bit, ok?" Seeing her worried expression, he added, "And don't look so worried. Everything's all right."

"Ok," she said, still looking suspicious. Blair took Soul's place on the couch and stared curiously at the two.

When they were outside, Soul turned to Wes. "What's up? Why are you suddenly visiting me and Maka?"

"I heard from someone that she's pregnant, and I wanted to see how she's doing. She's doing pretty fine for someone who's in her second month." He gave a sunny smile at his younger brother, who didn't return it. Wes sighed. "Hey, Soul. Are you bothered that I played that song for Maka?"

"No," he lied. Wes sensed it, and continued.

"Maka looked pretty sick when I dropped in, and she wanted to listen to some music to take her mind off other things. So I played your song on the violin, and she looked a lot better afterwards."

"Oh, thanks. " Soul looked down. "Did she...cry? Cry at all?"

"Her eyes became kinda unfocused for a while, like she was thinking hard about something, and her hand was over her stomach the whole time. No doubt she was thinking hard about you." He laughed quietly. "She called it her little Evans baby, and she looked proud saying it." He nudged Soul and smiled broadly. "I like her. She's a good woman for you."

"Yeah, Maka's likable...most of the time," Soul muttered, his eyes still on the ground. "Thanks for stopping by."

"No prob. I'll leave in a little bit after I get my stuff. Oh, and Soul?"

He, who had been entering the complex, turned and faced Wes. "Yeah?"

"That was a pretty good song. You should keep composing more pieces. I'm sure Maka would like that."

Soul felt flattered. "Yeah, thanks."

Maka was leaving the bathroom when Soul entered again. "Is everything all right? You seemed as if something was bugging you."

Soul stared at her and thought back to their wedding day - her smile, her eyes, her cheeks.

Maka is a good woman, and soon she'll be a good mother.

But will Soul be a good father?

* * *

**I had a name planned for this chapter: The Unexpected Visitor (which is of course, Wes). But as I kept writing (more like typing), I felt like I should call it Maka's Song. Of course, when faced with a difficult descision, I turn to Abraham Lincoln. In penny form. I flipped the coin and it landed heads. And you can pretty much guess what heads represents. **

**I feel like my writing's been off. I'm not too happy with this one either. That's probably due to the whole horoscope system being out of whack! (See my bio if you're confused what I meant). Huge apologies to anyone disastified with this chapter and/or the last. I'd still appreciate it if you reviewed, though.**

**Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day everyone! **


	4. Return of the Meister, Part 1

**Since my last update, I had to deal with a science fair project, a five-minute oral report on a poet and poem (fun...), several crappy tests and snowdays in which I didn't get the opportunity to go outside. No, I had to stay in and babysit my 5-year-old twin sisters. Bright side: I get $20! Another bright side: I'm planning to publish another story! I was thinking about Maka, and I decided to write out a story revolving our favorite meister mother-to-be. It's like a side story to this. More explanations in the actual story: **_**The Joys of Pregnancy.**_ **(Strange title, but the story's pretty decent) Coming out soon.**

**Is it really necessary to write out the disclaimer? You all know it.**

**This chapter is all about Spirit's mission in the magnificent city of New York! He is teamed up with someone from the past. Who? To find out, you have to do a task called **_**reading. **_**It's not that hard.**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

New York. He never knew it could be so...bright.

Spirit stared out of his hotel window. Even at night New York City was of human souls. He could see why this would be a good target for kishin. He stared down at his glass of red wine. Lord Death told him that he would be pairing up with someone, someone familiar. He fearfully asked if it was Stein, but it was not, to his great relief. But should he be relieved? Who could be his partner? After all, Shinigami-sama said it was someone familiar, and the only meister he was familiar with besides Stein was...

Spirit heard the door open and saw a woman with the striking image of Maka.

Kami. Maka's mother. The same long, ashen-blonde hair, green eyes and cool, straightforward expression their daughter inherited. She was at the wedding, and unlike her ex, she was ecstatic and embraced and welcomed Soul into the family.

Kami stared at Spirit, her face calm and non-chalant. She had that same face in the wedding. Ever since their only daughter announced her engagement, Kami has been rather polite to him, even nice. Spirit found that a little uncharacteristic of her post-divorce. However, he never really confront her until the reception

(A/N: I practically used a flashback for every chapter! I hope you're not complaining!)

* * *

_Spirit smiled and thanked the pretty, young lady for dancing with him. She giggled and skipped off to join her friends. _

_"Still at it, huh?" Stein shook his head at his former partner. The man was growing old (although he was too stubborn to admit it), and flirting with females that young must be sinful. He especially disapproved of this behavior in Maka's party, Death Scythe's only daughter's reception. He could easily screw it up, and Stein could just imagine the abuse he'll get when Maka sees him._

_"Come on, Stein, it was just an innocent dance."_

_"When it comes to you, Death Scythe, you can never be described as innocent." The dissection lover scanned the crowd and saw three particular people. He nudged Spirit and nodded toward them. "Come on, why don't you give your congrats to the bride and groom? Kami is." _

_Spirit followed his stare and stiffened. A tall, elegant woman was laughing with the bride and groom. It slightly annoyed him to see his wife, albeit his ex, be so...so...accepting to Soul. He went over to hear their conversation._

_"It's so good to see you two together. You both look so happy, but you're both pretty young."  
_

_"What's wrong? Did the old man get to you now?" Soul questioned, tipping back his cider. They planned on ordering champagne at first ("they" meaning Maka, who wanted a classical wedding with the classic drink), but then the 20-year-old Death Scythe and meister remembered they weren't legal to do so. Cider will have to do._

_Kami laughed. "Hell no. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying you two are pretty young. Period. No objections ore offenses whatsoever." The three of them drank in comfortable silence, much to Spirit's annoyance, who wanted to hear more. He got his wish when Kami finished her drink and smiled at the duo. Hoewver, there's always that saying, "Be careful what you wish for." This proves true for Spirit who heard his ex-partner ask, "So, are you two planning to have any children soon?" _

_Soul choked on his drink while Maka blushed and giggled. Spirit fell over. Children? Why the __**hell **__she ask that? _

_Spirit's fall caused a slight commotion. A small group of people crowded, and the band stopped playing. Spirit met a pair of red eyes and closed them. No way..._

_Soul shook his head at the pathetic man. "What the hell? Were you listening to us? That's really uncool."_

_"You were eavesdropping?" Maka pushed through the crowd, looking actively pissed. "Seriously, Papa? How much did you hear?"_

_"Calm down, Maka. I'm sure he didn't hear much. Besides, it's not as if we're talking about something scandalous about him."_

_Soul snickered, and Spirit hissed, "I have half a mind to hurt you..."_

_"That's you'll have, half a mind!" Maka snapped. She still wasn't pleased her papa did something as sneaky as eavesdropping. _

_The commotion around Spirit eased and the band started playing again. He felt himself being pulled up. _

_"Why don't we dance, Death Scythe?" Kami suggested with a sweet smile. She took his hand and danced to a slow song._

_"You've been very nice throughout this wedding thing. Did you still have feelings for me?" Spirit didn't sound joking or obnoxious. He actually sounded a bit hopeful. Despite what others think, he did love Kami. _

_"That's a good joke," Kami said acidly. "I was nice because I thought we could put the past behind us what with our daughter getting married and all." _

_"But why did you bring up children?" Spirit asked, frowning at her. "I don't think I can stand that thought, the two of them having children together."  
_

_"What's wrong with having a grandchild? They would make beautiful children-"_

_"Don't say that! Don't use that phrase 'make children' with our Maka. It's weird."_

_"It's inevitable, Spirit, so you may as well suck it up. And one more thing. About Maka and Soul's marriage, you seem to make it blatant about your dislike for the son-in-law."_

_"Your son-in-law, not mine," Spirit muttered. _

_Kami glared. "Like it or not, he's now a huge part of Maka's life now. He makes her happy, and doesn't her happiness matter to you, as her father?" When Spirit didn't answer, Kami sighed and continued, "Ok, then, don't answer. But whatever you do..."_

_Kami suddenly looked threatening and deadly. "Do not screw up her marriage like you screwed up ours, or I'll kick your sorry little ass all the way to Australia. Do you hear me?"_

_Spirit, intimidated by her fierce expression, gulped and nodded. The song ended, and Kami waved him good-bye. "Thanks for the dance, partner."_

_Meanwhile, on the stage, he heard glass being tapped, and heard Soul start to talk. "Ok, everyone. Now I want to do something special..."_

_

* * *

_

Well, he really didn't confront her during that reception, to be honest. More likely, he asked Kami, got his acidic answer, then got threatened by her.

"So Lord Death sent you here?" Kami asked coolly, not moving from the doorway. She eyed the red wine. "Easy on the drink. We're after serious murderers and I don't want to screw anything up with your drunkenness."

"I didn't know Lord Death was sending you," Spirit said, ignoring the jibe on the alcohol. "Why you?"

"Apparently, you're still scared of Stein," Kami answered, cracking a smile. "Besides, Shinigami-sama knows we both work pretty well together, and this whole thing with the kishin is pretty serious. I hear they usually go out at night, since many innocent, young New York souls go out then. I'm gonna go out and see if they dare to show up."

She turned and walked out the doorway, leaving Spirit with his wine. He tipped the glass back and let the red liquid quench his throat. He slammed it down and followed Kami.

The two of them walked around the city in silence. Spirit observed the energy of New York City, while Kami observed the crowds, deep in thought. 'So many souls here.' She thought. 'I wonder if it's even possible to sense a kishin soul in this crowd.'

As they passed an alleyway, they heard screaming. Kami and Spirit glanced at each other before sprinting to the scene, where a young man with a pistol stood over a scared, defenseless woman. He look rather wild, maybe drunk. He stared at the woman, then raised his pistol and aimed at her. He started to pull the trigger when stopped by Spirit, who changed partly into his scythe form and charged. The man, stunned and turned to Spirit and Kami. The woman whimpered and quickly got away.

"What are you doing?" The man whispered, his eyes and bloodshot. "Do you realize what you have done?"

"Yes, we prevented an innocent soul from being eaten," Kami answered quietly, her head bowed down. "And once we're finished-" Kami raised her head, her eyes fierce. "-there won't be another soul taken. Your soul is mine! (1)"

* * *

**(1) I tired to end it with Maka's line, so you can see the likeness between mother and daughter. Not sure if I did good. **

**I'm sorry, sorry, sorry if you expected some SoMa in this. That will happen soon. The next chapter, part 2, is a FIGHT SCENE! But I really suck at writing those. This would require hours of research (that being watching every single fight scene in Soul Eater, which is practically every episode! That research I don't mind!) This would be important to the plot. **

**I freakin' love Paper Moon, the video for it, especially. The SoulMaka scenes give me tingles, especially at the end with Maka in Soul's arms. *squeals* **

**Again, still thinking of a story full of SoMa pregnancy drabbles in relationship to this. Could be cute ; )**

**Please review. I don't have anything to offer ut my love and gratitude if you do.**

**Bleh, I sound too poetic. Need to listen to Paper Moon again. I can not get tired of that song!**


	5. Return of the Meister, Part 2

**Hours of research went to this (i.e. watching all Soul Eater eps. Yay!) This is a FIGHT SCENE! Be forewarned: it might suck. At the suggestion of GrossGirl18 (who reviewed for every chapter of this story. You're freakin' awesome!), I watch Maka fight a regular old kishin for inspiration to write this (episode one is the best), which kinda helped. So thanks to her, this chapter isn't as bad is it should be. **

**Fight, fight, fight! Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest. For some of you who wondered if Soul will discuss her daddy worries with his friends, I find that pretty funny, considering his friends (I crack up at the thought of Soul having a meaningful conversation about babies and fatherhood with Black*Star), and Soul might consider that to be 'uncool'. Also, some reviewers wanted to know about Soul's parents's reactions. Well, crap, I totally forgot about them *hits herself on the head*. But, yeah, there will be a chapter on them, eventually. **

**Standard dislaimer applies.**

* * *

"My soul?" The man continued to stare at Kami and Soul. "Why would you want my soul?"

"Why? So you won't take any more souls, so you won't become a kishin and cause chaos in this world." Kami tuned to her ex-partner. "Spirit!"

"Got it!" Spirit transformed into a full scythe and Kami caught him. She set into her position and was still, daring the man to come closer. The man's eyes continue to stare, hesitant on attacking. Kami knew he was drunk, and so she had to be cautious, for drunkenness is when a man is at his most dangerous...and his most stupid. Having been married to Spirit taught her that.

Then the duo heard a voice, a voice coming from the man's gun.

_**What are you waiting for?**_

The man, Spirit and Kami all flinched. Kami shouldn't be so surprised, since she had sensed that soul from the weapon, but not having done some reaping for years caused her to forget some things. Like how a weapon's voice sounds.

_**Come on, Clyde. Don't make Mama wait. She's hungry for some souls. Go on, Clyde.**_

Kami shivered as she held Spirit while the weapon continued to speak.

_**Kill them.**_

Clyde struggled a bit as he listened to 'Mama'. But then he steadied, and proceeded on her orders. He charged, but Kami was quick, even though she was aging (she admits it bitterly) and she hasn't done this for years. She dodged and swung Death Scythe at Clyde. She was surprised to see how agile he is, especially in his state. Clyde barely dodged the sharp scythe when he started to shoot again. The bullet grazed her shoulder and she whimpered in pain. She shook a bit, and Spirit noticed.

_**Come on, Kami. I know you, you're strong and determined. You're not gonna let him beat you, are you?**_

"Ha! If that's what you think, then you really don't know me at all!" Kami raised her scythe, her green eyes focused on her target.

Clyde was calm - the better term would be bleak - as he anticipated the next attack. This time, Kami was the one who charged. She swung once more at Clyde, who pushed the attempt away with the gun and started to aim. However, Kami redirected her scythe to his feet and tripped him. Clyde stumbled, and Kami used this opportunity to attack again. Finally, the target was hit. Clyde's shirt was torn and her chest was cut. The blood dripped from the slice, and he groaned in pain. The gun started shrieking.

_**You bitch! How dare you hurt my baby boy! You will die, bitch. DIE! Clyde! Get up! We're not done yet. We're taking her soul, as well as the Death Scythe!**_

"Mama, that cut was clean, it hurts like hell. Just wait," wheezed Clyde. He was on his knees and took deep breaths. His mother continued shrieking, screaming at him to get up.

_**No freaking way, the weapon's his mother? **_Spirit was obviously astounded. He never heard of a meister with his mother as a weapon partner. Neither did Kami for that matter. She was just as surprised. Kami figured that Clyde was a mama's boy, and now that she made a clean cut at him...

She might as well just dig her own grave. But she can't give up. If she and Spirit let that crazy mother-and-son team go too far, then innocent people's lives could endangered. She thought of Maka, and she shivered of the thought of her daughter being near that lunatic. She had to keep fighting, no matter what.

_**Can't you do your genie hunter, Kami? It'll finish the job, nice and simple. **_

"No," she answered her weapon. "I see what's going on. What that man, Clyde, is doing...it's for his Mama, and a good son always obeys his mama. This is going to be tricky. We'll have to it the old fashioned way."

"You mean dying? That's what going to happen, with that guy's Mama all pissed."

"What a pessimist, do you not trust me at all? I can handle this, we _both_ can handle this."

"Kami, if it weren't for those bloodshot eyes, I'd think he'd be sober. You saw how quick he moves, and that's when he's drunk! Imagine if he's sober. And that's just the meister. I don't want to get started on the weapon."

"So shut up and stop worrying over your ass and focus."

"Kami, it's not just me, but you I'm worried about. That bullet was nearly spot-on, amazing for someone in Clyde's state. We're not dealing with ameteurs, here. We should leave, while Clyde is still down and Mama is still distracted."

"No way in hell am I going to back down. Think about Maka. We're doing this to protect innocent people, Maka especially. You want someone like those two to get near her?"

Spirit didn't answer, and Kami decided that he was on her side. She charged at Clyde, still down. All of a sudden, the weapon transformed back into its regular human form, and Kami and Spirit were stunned to see it

It was an elderly woman, well-worn with age, as shown in the excessive wrinkles. There was fire in her eyes, though. She held out her right hand and put out her index finger and thumb, like a gun. She shot at them, and Kami, caught off-guard at her appearance, just barely dodged the bullets. However, one grazed her temple, and another one hit her hip. She wobbled a bit and cried out in pain. She clutched her hip and fell to her knees. She knew she wasn't bleeding, since it was just the wavelengths formed into bullets, but damn, that hurt! She can't stand with that pain.

_**Kami, Kami! Are you all right? **_Death Scythe called out to her. When she fell, he fell from her hands and landed a couple feet from her.

"P-Peachy keen," she answered, trying unsuccessfully to hide her pain. She continued to clutch her hip and saw the elderly woman approach her. "So this...this is the infamous Ma Barker. And her meister son, Clyde Barker."

"Such a smart woman," Ma answered, her eyes shining maniacally as she aimed gun hand at Kami. "Too bad your soul is now mine."

Spirit quickly transformed back into his human form and lunged at the old lady. She fell and the air turned purple at her vocabulary that followed. Clyde reached out to his mother, and Spirit used this time to get away with Kami. He grabbed the hand not holding her waist and wrapped it around his shoulder. He laid his other hand on top of her other hand, the one on her waist, and supported her. He then half-dragged, half-carried her out of the alley.

"This isn't over!" Ma screamed as she lay on the ground. "I'll get you two! Your souls will become mine, and I shall fufill my promise to my husband!"

"A promise?" Kami whispered when they entered the hotel. "What kind of promise?"

"I don't know," Spirit murmured, still supporting her as they waited in the elevator. "But I bet it has something to do with her becoming a full-fledged kishin. I knew it would be tough to defeat Ma and Clyde Barker."

"But we have to. For Maka"

Spirit stared down at her, and nodded. He was firm and determined to protect his daughter.

"For Maka."

* * *

**Done! I feel like this is short. It probably is. Oh, I see why: I didn't use a flashback! Happy or sad? Your choice. Anyway, this fight scene isn't the best, but considering my style of writng, it's pretty darn good for someone who never usually writes those. By the way, Kami and Spirit are just friendly, there will be no romantic sparks or something of the like. Kami knows Maka is pregnant, just saying that (and that increases her determination to protect her); more on that later. There should be some SoMa in the next chapter, maybe even the entire Evans family! **

**What a way to spend Valentine's Day, huh? Wake up with a huge headache (so painful that I wished someone would knock me unconsious), stay home, nearly hurl at my breakfast and publish a fight scene chapter in a story in which 2 Death Scythes hate each other.**

**Show your love this Valentine's Day by reviewing. It'll make me happy :)**

**I wish a good V-Day to all of you (even though it's late :P)**


	6. Important

Hey guys.

This hurts a lot to type this, but for now, this story's on hiatus. I was in the process of selling my laptop so I can get a new one (the old one was really slow), so I moved my files that was on my computer into my dad's flash drive (my own drive was at school). However, today, when I tried to move the files into my flash drive, I couldn't find my folder that has all my work. Unfotunately, it contains the next entry for For The One We Love and The Joys Of Pregnancy, and, according to my "lovable" stepdad, those files, as well as others, are gone, so I'll have to start over.

The hiatus is very temporary, only a few days or weeks. It will NOT be canceled.

I know it sucks to update with a crappy note, but I had to let you guys know. Please don't be mad at me. If you're going to review, don't flame me. I'm really, really sorry. So sorry, I actually cried when I couldn't find my folder, because I wanted to update FTOWL tonight, and TJOP tomorrow.

Thanks guys for sticking with me this far, and hopefully you will still do that for the long days ahead.

-Original509 (who is very sorry for all this)


	7. First Impressions

**I AM BACK! I AM ALIVE! (That was a quick hiatus, but like I said, it was temporary) I didn't find my files, so I had to retype this chapter, which kinda sucked. But anyway, thank you all so much for being so supportive (and my story hit the big 4-0. Time for a celebration!), and your kindness and awesomeness really drove me to update soon, like really soon. I can't have you guys wait for so long, especially when you've been so nice to me! **

**I added a little something to the end of the flashback in Chapter 4: Return of the Meister, Part 1. Nothing really important, but my brain's been really bugging me to write those extra words. XP**

**There a couple things you should know about this chapter**

**1. It's super long (at least it is for me), but there are no flashbacks.**

**2. It's slightly perverted (thanks to Soul)**

**3. It answers partly (note I said partly) the most asked question for FTOWL!**

**4. I was in a rush to get this updated, so there might be some grammar and spelling errors. Sorry!**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**Oh yeah, super important note at the bottom. Don't worry, it's not anything bad!**

* * *

Death City has been calm and cool for the past two weeks. In fact, the only monster around here is, well...Maka Evans.

Soul winced, practically hearing her scream at him, demanding that he repeat what he said so she can shove her thick book down his skull. Luckily, she wasn't there to practically read his thoughts. She was at home, nursing her upset stomach while Soul picked up groceries for their barren fridge. He stopped at a stoplight and swiveled around to check that the groceries were still tied to his motorcycle seat. Seeing that everything is in its place, he sighed, and turned, and started drving again. He was already in enough trouble with Maka (mainly for complaining about her mood swings and cravings); he didn't want anymore trouble to arise with he losing their much needed food.

Soul frowned as he continued driving. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, but hell, he didn't know how _difficult_Maka would be. Soul really had to think before he says anything these days, if he wanted to keep his head intact. She was so _sensitive._ Anything he says will be twisted by her so it sounds as if he insulted her.

And there was that food thing. Soul enjoyed Maka's cooking, but lately, her wild cravings started affecting her cooking. The most edible meal he had was barbeque pasta with cut celery as garnish. Of course, when he questioned her about the so-called meal, she whimpered and started crying and complained on how she slaved over the stove trying to cook a meal for them, and this is the thanks she gets? Then Soul would feel like the bad guy in this situation, and he would spend the rest of the evening trying to comfort her and begrudgingly eat the thing classified as dinner. But later, that dinner would end up in the toilet.

(A/N: If you, by chance are eating while reading this, or if you have a thing against really gross things, then I suggest you skip this next paragraph)

That was another thing. Soul knew Maka would experience morning sickness almost daily, but it still bugged him when he woke up the sound of retching and the smell of vomit. It makes it hard to, er, do his business when he knows Maka had thrown up there earlier, and that revolting smell would stay in the bathroom even after she flushes. It was hard to brush his teeth and not gag to the stink, but even harder to kiss Maka afterwards, even if she brushed her teeth, because that taste still lingered.

Soul grinned as he made a left turn. There were disadvantages to this whole thing, but there were advantages as well. Obviously, it's that Maka is carrying his child (his, not anyone else's, thank Shinigami), and he'll have a kid to raise, to see grow and prosper. There are days where he and Maka just sit next to each other on the couch or bed, and they hold each other and talk about the baby: what the gender is, who will it look like, whether if it's a weapon or a meister or normal. It was all nice and cozy.

Then there was Maka acting all...needy (his grin turned into a smirk as nasty, perverted thoughts entered his mind; he was sorely grateful Maka couldn't read thoughts). He supposed it was those hormones, but hey, she asked for it. Usually, she was the prude one in this relationship, but not lately. Although, she's been kinda shy on asking him. Soul thought it would be hot if she said something dirty to him, but he knew she wasn't like that. After all, she had slapped him when he said something dirty to her back on their honeymoon. A bonus is that Maka was growing...and not just in her stomach area (more perverted thoughts consumed his mind; if Maka saw those thoughts, he'd be dead in a heartbeat).

Soul finally got home and carried the mass load of groceries to their apartment. Instead of Blair, like last time, Tsubaki greeted him at the doorway, and grabbed the groceries out of his hands. She placed them on the dining room table and began to rumage through them. "Maka's in the bathroom."

"Again?" he groaned. She just puked this morning - twice. And it was hardly 2 o'clock. "Is she all right?"

"It's just the pregnancy. Stuff like this is common. Have you got the baby carrots?" She rummaged through the food and pulled out a small package of baby carrots.

Soul stared at the veggie. Lately, carrots were all she seemed to eat (although for a couple days back, she seemed pretty keen on the celery). Soul made a crack at that, saying her skin will turn orange from all those consumed carrots, and she went beserk on him. Needless to say, he spent the entire night in their bathroom with a first aid kit and a dented head.

He heard a groan and saw Maka stumble out of the hallway bathroom, slightly green in the face and her hand pressing hard against her growing stomach. But when she saw Soul, her green eyes lit up and she smiled, acting like she didn't spend an eternity in there emptying her stomach. "Hey, Soul! Glad to see you back. Did you bring any carrots?"

Soul resisted the urge of making another carrot=orange skin crack at the thought of another night in the bathroom. Instead, he nodded his head at the groceries piled onto the table, which Tsubaki is still sorting through. She held up a small jar of tea leaves. "Success! Now, please excuse me, I'll make tea for all of us..."

While she busied herself with the tea, Maka grabbed the baby carrots and a pint-sized jar of vanilla ice cream (which was requested to Soul at last minute) and settled on the couch, lazily dipping her carrot sticks into the sweet cream and savoring and crunching the snack.

Soul stared in disbelief, wondering how she could stand the taste of those two combined. He pulled his attention away from her to face the phone, blasting with its annoying ring-ring. He picked it up and grunted, "Hello?"

Soul listened quietly for a long while, and Maka was so intrigued by it that she turned her attention away from the carrots and ice cream. She observed, wondering if she could figure out who's on the other end. She saw his eyes sharpen, and his hand clench harder on the phone. He didn't bare his teeth, so he wasn't mad, but he didn't look too happy either. It was a while before he said anything.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll tell her that you called...actually she's in the room, so maybe you could talk...oh, okay then...tonight, really? I guess so, I'll tlak it over with her. Bye."

"Who was that?" Maka asked, disregarding the melting ice cream.

Soul ran his fingers through his messy, white hair. Maka wished that those were her fingers, and her stomach growled. Soul faced Maka and gave a sheepish grin.

"We're going out to dinner."

"That's great," Maka said happily. It was great, but why does Soul look so...unhappy?

"We're going out to dinner," he repeated, "with my parents."

* * *

"Come on, Maka, they're going to be here any minute!"

Soul sighed and tapped his foot. He checked his watch and glared at the bedroom bathroom door that currently held his wife. He understood that she wanted to make a good first impression on them (since they never attended the wedding - only Wes), but this is _ridiculous._

Soul fidgited in his suit and tried to loosen his tie. The suit reminded him of the outfit he wore in the DWMA anniversary party a couple years back.

(A/N: Episode 18, if you're curious!)

He was nervous, too. After all, he hasn't seen them since he left home years ago to enter DWMA. It wasn't a very blissful goodbye, either.

But they were on pretty good terms, considering that night. He wrote to them monthly, telling them news in Death City and about he and Maka (he had actually gotten his blessing to get married through one of their letters). However, they didn't attend the wedding, so that made Soul wonder about their relationship.

A whiff of perfume sent him back down from Wonderland, and he turned to find the source of the scent. His drew in a sharp breath.

Maka looked radiant with her hair in gentle waves and her cheeks rosy pink. Her velvet green dress grazed just above her knee, giving a good show of her strong, long legs. A simple flower-chain necklace circled her neck, as well as a thin silver bangle on her right hand. On her left hand, her engagement and wedding ring winked at him.

Soul became lost in a fog of lust and desire. Damn, she was near three months and she still looked hot. He tried to break free of his fantasies (and his consideration of acting on them), but the temptation was huge. They could call and just postpone the dinner...

"Soul? You ok?"

That brought him back down from Fantasyland. He stared into her emerald eyes, and whispered, "Come here."

Maka shyly entered his embrace, and they held each other close. Soul closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the warm vanilla scent. She smelled amazing, and it drove him nuts. He kissed her neck, and murmured, "You look absolutely beautiful. What I wouldn't give to simply just-"

The doorbell cut off his sentence, and Maka was silently grateful. She was a little uncomfortable in being certain that he was going to say something very dirty to her. Soul, on the other hand, was not pleased at the interruption and cursed under his breath as he separated from Maka and made his way to the door.

He reached for the door knob and paused. He turned slightly, and saw Maka with her coat in hand. He raised his eyebrows, asking if she was ready for this, and she smiled and nodded. Relieved to see how calm she is (not like earlier, when she fussed over what she should wear), he turned the knob and opened the door.

"Soul, how wonderful it is to see you after all this time."

Maka peered over her husband's shoulder and saw a petite woman with snow-white hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a draping, elegant midnight-blue gown with a white faux-fur coat. Her skin was very pale, the only color being her pink cheeks. Everything about her seemed perfect and flawless - the skin, the small smile, the nose. Maka suddenly felt plain in her green dress and flower necklace.

"Who is that hiding behind you, peeking over your shoulder?" questioned the man beside the woman.

The man had very pale blonde hair, slicked back. There were some fine lines on his face, but he looked young and jovial, all the same. His red eyes were a little startling, but Maka knew by looking at him that he seemed like a good man. She felt that good feeling when she first met Soul.

The man gave a low whistle when Maka stepped out from behind Soul. "Well, Soul, looks like you've chosen well."

Maka blushed and bowed her head, extremely embarrassed, but flattered as well. She felt his arm wrap around her waist, and she smiled.

"Geez, don't embarrass her. And wipe away the drool - I'm still your wife, remember?" She swatted him in the head, and Maka and Soul laughed quietly. Mrs. Evans focused her piercing blue eyes on Maka, and the usually brave meister felt small and trapped in her stare. However, Mrs. Evans smiled, easing Maka's tension. "Apologies for his behavior. He can be a bit of a playboy, but I've got him round up."

"Ah, that's fine, Mrs. Evans-"

"Oh, please, call me Veronica. After all, we're family now!" she stepped forward and embraced her daughter-in-law, much to her surprise - and delight. She was _family? _Maka hugged back, happiness and warmth in her body.

The two women broke the embrace, and Veronica nodded her head at Mr. Evans. "That's Richard. He's the one paying for dinner tonight."

Soul finally spoke his first words to his parents in the flesh. "Ah...that's ok, I can help pay."

Veronica shook her head and hooked arms with Maka. "No, he's paying. I mean, we just dropped in on you two when you have your own little lives, and we want to do something special for you two. Married with a baby coming! How exciting!"

Before either of them could say anything, Veronica dragged Maka outside, chattering a mile a minute into her ear. "Wes told us about the wedding. He said it was very beautiful - oh, how I _wish _I came. So tell me about the baby. Do you want it to be a boy or girl? What do you think it is? Who do you think will it look like? I tell you, I was _very_disappointed when I gave birth to two boys, neither of which have inherited my eyes. Ugh, with their white hair and red eyes, they remind me of those vampires in those teenage flicks those girls seem to adore (1). How far are you? Mind you, I didn't find out I was carrying Soul until I was well into my 4th month. I might've sipped some wine during those 4 months, but I didn't know any better. Actually, it could explain why he's so strange and rather warped today..."

"Thanks, Mom. Love you, too," Soul muttered. Richard laughed and patted his son on the back. "She hasn't changed, hasn't she? It's because of her, we never run out of things to talk about."

"She's acting as if nothing has changed," Soul mused, still staring at the door that his mother dragged his wife through. "She's acting as if it never happened. The night I left home."

"Now, Soul," Richard said, a slight sharpness in his tone. " I don't want you to talk about that. I don't want any chaos tonight, especially since we just met Maka, and this was the first time in years that we've met, person-to-person. Your mother's been looking forward to tonight. Don't ruin it for her."

"I won't," Soul sighed. "I won't."

* * *

"Tonight was a great night. I think your mom and I really hit it off. We've been talking nonstop about the baby, and I really think she likes me."

"That's great, Maka, now will you please shut up?"

Soul sat up in his bed, Indian-style, rubbing his eyes. Tonight was one long hell-of-a-night, and he really needed some sleep. Problem is, Maka wouldn't stop talking, and while Soul was happy to see the two females in his life getting along, he really wished his wife would stop talking. He was afraid that some of his mother's babbling personality rubbed off on Maka.

Said person was getting just getting into bed, after spending hours in the bathroom removing the makeup and getting changed. She pulled the covers up and smiled at her husband. "This is great, Soul! Now that we got the parents out of the way, we can focus more on the baby. Now I was thinking, maybe we can paint it yellow, since it's a neutral color, and we don't know that the sex is, but I want to paint early."

"Maka-"

"-we need diapers and wipes. _Lots_ of them. After all, a baby spend twenty hours pooping and sleeping, and we...oh, yeah, we also need a crib! And some clothes, and-" Her train of sentences were cut off when the room when dark. "Soul!"

"Good night, Maka," said the lump under the sheets.

"But Soul, we have less than 7 months to prepare! We need to talk-"

"For your sake and the baby's, just get some shut-eye. We'll talk in the morning, 'kay?"

"Soul-"

"_Good night, Maka._"

He half-expected a Maka-chop, but instead, he heard rustling noises and felt her lie down next to him. "Fine, I'll sleep, but when dawn comes, we will talk!"

"Glad to hear that," he drawled sarcastically, shutting his eye. He felt something nudge against him, and he opened his eyes again. Maka stared up at him with those large, beautiful green eyes. "Soul," she whispered, her voice very small, "Can you hold me?"

Surprised by the request, he nonetheless wrapped his arms around her, and she did they same to him, and they were silent. He heard her talk to his chest, "I'm scared, Soul. I'm so scared. I don't know what to do."

Soul rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. "Hey, I'm sacred, too. But we'll get through. We always have."

He tucked a strayed piece of blonde hair behind her ear, and closed his eyes. " After all, we've got 7 months."

* * *

**My fingers are cramped, but it's all worth it! I just got my new desktop installed, so I'll start retyping my other story, The Joys of Pregnancy.**

**I think I made Soul a little OCC towards the end. I can't imagine him being all soft and stuff. I figure he's too 'cool' for that. XD**

**(1) For any Twilight fans, I'm sorry if you were offended at Veronica's line, but I just **_**had**_** to make a vampire reference in there.**

**In the beginning, I said, this chapter answers **_**partly **_**the most asked question. Can you interpret my meaning?**

**By the way, I need a HUGE favor from you guys. On my profile, I put up a poll determining which sex I should make the baby be. And please, people, I need you, in the reviews, to give me a suggestion for a baby name for each gender. Voting will end on March 21th (the first day of spring!), and I will tell you about the voting for baby names in my next update (which won't be for a while, sadly). **

**Again, thank you for supporting me during the funk, you guys make me so happy!**

_By the way, I changed the deadline for the polls so it ends on March 24th instead of the 21st, so as to give my other readers for my other story time to vote. Just wanted to let you know!_


	8. Secrets and Judgements

**I FAIL! I'M DISGUSTING GARBAGE!**

**You want to know my excuses? Fine: summer activities, babysitting, school, and I got a little lost in the Hetalia bandwagon _ Also, I will be working more on my side story to get it up-to-date with this (currently, the events in this are one month ahead of _Joys_, and I want them to be more or less on the same timeline). You may not expect another update for a while. Again, so sorry! :P Plus, I had a total brainfart the whole time and I wasn't sure about the transition of events! (Yes, I have everything planned out for both of my stories)**

**Ahem, sorry about that (Im doing a lot of apologizing) Anyway, here's the next chapter (bound to have spelling/grammar mistakes because I'm in a rush to get this published).**

* * *

The long, slender fingers have been drumming the window in a steady, monotonous rhythm that secretly bugged Richard, but kept quiet as he is a refined gentleman. It's been like that since they left Soul and Maka. He was mildly curious to see what's bugging her, but part of him knew what was the matter. Nonetheless, Richard stopped at a stoplight, and took advantage of the temporary waiting. "Penny for your thoughts?

Instantly, the drumming stopped as Veronica was pulled out of her trance. She stared at her husband through those piercing blue eyes, and gritting her teeth, she announced, "I don't like her."

"Could've fooled me," Richard replied, driving once more. "Actually, you could've fooled anyone. You were all best-buddies with her, and Soul was bemused by the whole thing." He chuckled. "But you know I can see through you. Happens when you're married to a former broadway actress for 25-plus years."

Veronica ignored the old-age jibe hidden in that sentence. Richard made a turn and addressed to his wife, without turning his own head, "What is it about Maka you don't like?"

Veronica waved her hands, her scowl showing disapproval. "Many things. She's small and boring and too bookish and knows zilch about the fine arts and music. She isn't exactly the lovliest rose in the garden, either. Oh, don't give me that look!" she snapped when Richard gave her the "You're-really-going-to-judge-by-appearances-and-be-so-shallow?" look.

He exhaled deeply and continued driving. "I don't know, Veronica, but I think Maka is a stunning and rather sublime young woman."

"Remember you're married," Veronica said cooly. "She is sort of pretty, in a plain kind of way. But she's so boring and bookish. You may not know Soul's into legs, but it's obvious he's not into books. They don't seem compatible."

"Must they have the exact same interests?" Richard asked dully. "That would be a boring marriage. Besides, you and I aren't that compatible either."

"Your point?"

"My point is is that you shouldn't be so judgemental about Soul and Maka's marriage. Obviously, he loves her, and maybe for reasons that we can't explain."

"They're complete opposites. The marriage is going to fail."

"Well, you know what they say, Veronica. Opposites attract."

* * *

"We only have a couple days left, and I'm not sure if we got them all."

"Lord Death said to lessen the population, not eradicate. We have to give those students some kishins to handle by themselves."

Kami scowled at Spirit before turning away. "Of course, I know that. But it's not that I want all these kishin gone, but there's this certain pair that worries me..."

Spirit can be a dense playboy, but he knew his wife - er, ex-wife. "You're thinking about that Clyde man...and his mother."

"Don't you find it creepy? I mean, it's a drunk man with his mother as a weapon! And as for that mother, I can't believe she's encouraging her son to kill innocent people for souls! That's awful. It's obscene. It's-"

"I know, I know," Spirit interrupted, all at once seeing the rising alarm, panic and anger in her green eyes. _Like mother, like daughter..._

Kami sighed and sat down on the couch in Spirit's hotel room, her head buried in her hands. "I'm just terrified. There's just something about those two that gave me chills. Most drunk men I know could barely stand up, much less dodge and aim efficiently. I don't want another crisis to occur, and that is what will happen if we let those two escape New York." She stood up and silently headed towards the door before turning her head. "Well?"

"You're seriously going to hunt them down?" asked Spirit incredulously.

"Of course!" Kami snapped."I don't want those people to leave New York. If we let them escape, it would be a matter of time before the reach Death City - and Maka. Do you want that to happen?"

"No, but-"

"There's no 'buts' in this case, Spirit. Either we stop them from going too far, or we let them go and wait until it's too late. Your choice."

Green eye met blue, and he sighed deeply before following her out the door. "It's just like you to make a mission become personal." He gave a small smile. "Maka really is a lot like you."

For what seemed like hours, Kami and Spirit scoured the streets for sights of any kishin - more specifically, the Barkers. So far, everything seemed normal. There were people walking casually left and right, taking in the excitement that is night time New York City. There were flashing lights, several yelling, and so many taxi cabs that filled the streets that Kami wondered if there were more cabs than cars in NYC.

They searched near the nightclubs, and all they found was several people throwing up in alleyways, others walking tipsily, and young couples getting way too comfortable in other dark alleyways. Already anxious about the Barkers, a beyond-furious Kami literally dragged Spirit away from the scene when a group of girls appeared, totally wasted and waving their underwear and bare asses around.

Muttering darkly about how she could have fallen for an idiotic pervert, Kami pulled him into the nearest alley in order to not only get away from the girls, but to also give him a piece of her mind. Before she could open her mouth, she heard a very distinct slurp. She stood still, and to her relief, Spirit followed her example and was quiet as well. In the midst if the usual partying noises, they heard an awfully familiar voice.

_That's right, honey. Now give Mama the nice soul. You've been a very good boy..._

The night had been warm, but now the duo just felt cold. Indeed, they found Ma and Clyde Barker, but they didn't stop her from taking another innocent soul. "Spirit," she whispered.

He was way ahead of her. He transformed into a scythe, and Kami gripped it tightly. She peered around the corner, her heart pounding fast.

Clyde's back was to her, his head lifted towards the inky black sky. Beside him was his very small, petite mother, kneeling on the ground. The sight of the dark-red puddle made Kami's stomach churn, and she gripped the scythe harder. She hasn't felt this kind of anxiety since she first started as a Shibusen student; that was _decades_ ago. Get a grip, woman. You managed to turn this idiot into a powerful Death Scythe. You can handle those two.

She saw Ma grasp the tip of the victim's soul and hover it over her waiting, greedy mouth. It was one of those moments where you could only move, not think; Kami came out of the shadows and swung Death Scythe at Ma. The blade never touched her; Clyde moved in front of Ma and pushed her back, so the scythe only met air. Spirit looked into his eyes, and knew that this won't be easy. His icy eyes were clear, focused and currently full of hate. He was, no doubt, sober, and considering his surprising agility when drunk, both Spirit and Kami knew they had to take him seriously.

Ma smirked at them. "So, it's you two again. Well, it's too late. Clyde and I are much closer to becoming the full-fledged kishin I promised my husband we'll be." Once more she dangled the soul over her mouth, and Kami felt panic consume her. Spirit could feel her fear, and hid own heart pounded

"No!"

* * *

Maka stood outside their apartment door, waiting for Soul so they could go to the doctor for another apartment. She checked her watch, frowned, tapped her foot, and showed all other signs of impatience.

She would've gone ahead, but he insisted on going with, saying that "as the father, I have the right to see if my kid's alright." Maka agreed, but reluctantly. She also made him promise to behave himself, unlike that last meeting with their doctor.

"There you are!" she burst when she saw Soul walking down the hallway towards her. "Where were you?"

Soul winced a little from his wife's attitude. It wasn't as noticable; as she has been pregnant for nearly three months now, Soul has gotten used to her moodiness and mood swings.

Somewhat.

"Sorry, I kinda got held up at the Academy. I had to supervise this fight between these two meisters." Soul chuckled as he thought back to the brawl. "You should've been there. It was like a reenactment of the fight Black*Star and I had with Kid."

"That's right," Maka murmured. "On the day we met Kid, you and Black*Star tried to take him on." She laughed as well, and Soul mentally sighed in relief. It was always good to see her laugh, especially these days, when she was tired from work and the baby. His happiness for her strained slightly when she continued: "You guys failed pretty badly. It was a pretty funny memory."

She rubbed her growing abdomen and smirked. "I can't wait until the baby's born so I can tell it how silly you acted back then."

Soul grabbed her hand and they started down the hall. "Oh, no you don't. I want my kid to grow up knowing how cool his dad is." He placed a hand on her stomach. "And I'll make sure I'm an awesome dad to him. You have my word."

Maka's smile then was so bright that her eyes lit up. Soul thought back to the day of their wedding, with her pink cheeks and loving gaze. He couldn't believe he never realized how beautiful she was from the start.

"Well, isn't this sweet?"

Their moment was disrupted by a young man who stood outside his own apartment door. His blonde hair was slicked back, and he wore a small, amused smile. Possibly his most distinguished feature was his pale blue eyes. Soul never liked those eyes. They were so distant and icy. Smiling just made him look more...unfriendly. Soul could use other adjectives, but 'unfriendly' is the nicest term to describe him.

"Doctor!" Maka exclaimed, obviously surprised. "I thought you would be at the office."

"I just wanted make a quick stop to my place so I could check on my mother."

"You live here?" Soul asked, a little taken back. Funny how the doctor hasn't mentioned that before; they had told him where they lived in case something happened with Maka and the baby, and filled out that form...

"Yes, he does." A smaller, obviously older woman stepped out of the doorway. She gave a friendly smile, and the couple returned the geture. "So is this the couple I heard about? You never told me how adorable they are! Oh, you two will make such adorable parents!" She pinched Soul's cheek. Well, tugged would be a better term. "I bet the baby will be just as beautiful as its parents! Do you want a boy or a girl?"

"Either one is fine," Maka laughed as Soul tried (unsuccessfully) to get the old woman to stop grabbing his cheeks. She was even amused when she saw how red his cheeks were after she finally, mercifully let go.

"Sorry about my mother. She can be like that," the doctor said, exchanging side glances with her. "Well, since we're all here, I might as well escort you two to the office. You go on ahead. I just want to speak to her alone."

Soul was happy to follow doctor's orders for once; he didn't know which was worse, the doctor's icy stare or his mother's...motherly-ness. It reminded him painfully of his own mom. He grabbed his wife's hand and went ahead.

Mother and son waited until they were far ahead. The mother dropped her act and whispered, "So that's Soul and Maka," she muttered, an ugly look on her wrinkled face. "It doesn't look like she's been pregnant for long."

"No, I believe she's only about three months along. You're not still planning to..."

"Honey," she said patiently, "I promised him we could do it, and we should always keep promises. Now you catch up and do your job, Clyde."

"Mother," he said warningly.

"Sorry," she said quickly, remembering not to use that name. "I mean...doctor."

* * *

**...**

**What the heck did I just write?**

**Yeah, so I made Veronica into those stereotypical mother-in-laws, but I'm not going to focus the story on her or write another side story based on her. Heck, I'm not going to go as far as making her into a total psycho - I think Hollywood has the whole "the mother-in-law is a total monster" thing down. Please please don't flame on how I depicted her. **

**Yeah...I'm not sure if I'll update the next chapter soon, as I want to get my other story up-to-date with this. I already have a lot of crap on my back, so...yeah (lame excuse is lame).**

**I REALLY AM SORRY FOR NOT NEGLECTING THIS! Blame Hetalia! I got sucked into that. Even though the updates won't be too frequent, I promise I will NEVER abandon this story. It might take a year or so, but I will get this and _Joys_ completed!**

**For those of you who didn't read my other story (and you really should), I had put up a poll for a girl's name for the Evans baby. Come to think of it, it's a really old poll. Still, I ask that you vote for a name, even if you hate the story ^^; I included the names 'Hikari' and 'Saint' since I found them to be gender-neutral (although I found out later that Saint was originally a suggestion for the girls. Oops!). The poll will be up indefinitely.**

**Anyway, I'd like to thank anyone who still stayed with me despite the long absence. I hope you don't give up on me!**


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